


A Bird's Eye View

by Peter_Rabbit



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Animal Traits, Avian Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Avian Morality | Patton Sanders, Blind Morality | Patton Sanders, Blindness, Captivity, Gen, Human Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Human Logic | Logan Sanders, Light Angst, Medical Examination, Medical Procedures, Sad Morality | Patton Sanders, Sad with a Happy(ish) Ending, Scientific Research, Tiny Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Tiny Morality | Patton Sanders, Tiny Sides (Sanders Sides), starvation mention
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:55:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29223552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peter_Rabbit/pseuds/Peter_Rabbit
Summary: Patton is not at all happy with the research team that has caught him, and is making it very well known to every human he comes in contact with.Roman and Logan just wanted to record his size and weight and send him no his way, but a larger problem with the avian comes to light that makes releasing much harder.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Logic | Logan Sanders
Comments: 11
Kudos: 52





	1. -Is Not That Good

Tears burned his eyes and warmed his cheeks as he continued to push his body against the bars, the wire digging into his torso and face painfully. Even with his entire arm sticking out and reaching around the bars his fingers weren’t even brushing the clasp. The trap was designed so that only someone on the outside could open it.

A sob bubbled up as he heard heavy footsteps approach, and he pulled his arm back and thrust it back forward, hoping, somehow, the momentum would get him just close enough to the latch. It never would, he was just creating bruises that would be sore later, he had to think of something else. Anything else to get him out. He was running out of time- 

He _was_ out of time.

There was a large crunch of leaves right in front of him and he yanked his arm back, holding it close to his body as he scrambled to the back of the trap, his wings now pushed against the bars on the other side. He stared wide at the offending thing in front of him, the foot of the human, who was now bending down.

“Well, hello there,” The voice was soft, attempting to be reassuring, not that it helped. The trap shook as it lifted off the ground and he came face to face with his captor. White teeth, dark skin, green eyes, reddish hair. “Aw, you poor little thing, you’re going to be okay. We’re going to take good care of you.”

That didn’t bode too well for him. The human stood, holding the trap to his side, making it swing with each of his giant strides. He let the tears fall freely as his home grew farther and farther away.

One terrifying ride on the human’s growling machine later they arrived at a building surrounded by a few more of those human machines that looked like shiny boxes. They entered the building and Patton could immediately make out the voices of several more humans and he let another loud sob through.

“Oh, darling, it’s okay. This is just a checkup, we’re going to take you right back home tomorrow,” The human holding his trap said as he set it on a table in front of a different human with blue hands, “He’s been crying since I picked him up, I don’t think it’s going to get better.”

The blue handed human was pulling at the clasp of the trap and it popped the door right open for him, “Has he said anything to you?”

“No. Should we just put him away for now and come back when he’s calmed down?”

“He’ll just start up again when we do. I’ll check him quickly and write down his information, we’ll observe him over night, and we’ll let him go in the morning. At least we won’t have to worry about him being a repeater, like Virgil is.” The blue hand came into the trap and, despite his fighting, the fingers were able to wrap around his middle and pull him out. The hand was disturbingly smooth and rubbery. The blue handed human had black hair, pale skin and square things around his eyes. 

The green-eyed human laughed, “Yes, I suppose that’s right. Oh, hello, little one. I know this is very frightening, but Dr. Logan isn’t going to hurt you one bit. We just want to make sure you’re all healthy.”

He tried to get out of the grip, but it was just tight enough not to allow any movements. Then there was another hand on his wing and he _wailed_ as he went still.

“Do you think it’s broken?”

“No, it would be dragging if it was. I’m sure he’s just terrified that I’m going to be the one to break it. It looks healthy and well groomed, however.” He continued to cry out as his wing was pulled open and the feathers were prodded and touched. “They’re really in fine condition, he’s just upset I’m touching them at all.”

His wing was let go and he pulled it tight against his back. The blue hand human readjusted his grip and started rubbing down his sides and he whined loudly at the feeling, “That’s weird.”

“What?”

“I can feel his ribs, all the avians in this area have been a healthy weight. Roman, can you get me a few berries?”

“Yes, absolutely.” 

He shouted at the human as he pulled his shirt over his head, “Shush, it’s okay, I’m just getting a better look. Oh, dear, what happened to you?” The large fingers brushed over his chest and stomach.

He knew he was skinnier than he should be, but it was hard finding the familiar red color of berries.

“Here we go.” A black bowl was set in front of him and the blue handed human let him go. “Perhaps he’s recently recovering from an injury that made it hard for him to get food?”

“Perhaps.”

He immediately went over to the bowl, looking into it and frowning when he continued to only see black instead of any red. He looked up at humans with watery eyes, wondering why they had tricked him.

The humans only looked back. 

There was a moment before the green eyed human spoke, “Can you not eat blackberries?”

He scrunched up his face and reached into the blackness, surprised when his fingers brushed against something immediately. He grasped at the berry and felt it, realizing it felt an awful lot like a raspberry and smiled as he took a bite of it. 

“Oh dear.”

“What just happened?”

“I don’t think he could see the blackberries.”

“They’re right in front of him.”

“Yes, that is why that is worrying.”

“Why wouldn’t he be able to see them?”

“If his vision is impaired he wouldn’t be able to see them against the black bowl.”

Patton ignored them, he already knew he had a bit of trouble seeing, it wasn’t too bad. He could still out run predators and he always found food eventually. He contented himself with eating the blackberries as the humans continued to talk over him.

Once he was finished he fanned out his wings and looked around for a place to get out of the building. It took him a moment to find where there was any green and when he did he flapped his wings to get off the table. He didn’t get far as the blue hands wrapped around his middle. He screeched and tried to flap his way out, but the blue hands just readjusted to keep his wings against his back. 

“No. No. Apologies, but we are not done. Roman, can you grab the scale and a velcro band?”

“Let go!” He shouted, tired of these humans already. They weren’t listening to anything he was doing and now he had to bother with actual words.

“I know. I know,” the blue handed human said, though he clearly didn’t cause if he did he would _let go_. “Just one more thing and we’ll set you up with a nice cozy blanket and some yummy food.”

There was a loud ripping sound before a black thing was wrapped around his body quicker then he could fight it and was holding his wings and arms down. It itched and he wriggled and yelled as the human set him down on a cold surface.

“Extremely underweight for an avian his size, even after just eating.” The human wrote something down on the paper. “Alright, we’re all done, you did a wonderful job.”

He was once again picked up and he sobbed, “ _Stop_!”

“I will, it’s okay,” He assured and the black band was ripped away and he was set into a cubby in the wall. There was soft material under him and two small balck bowl in one corner, and an empty looking hut in the other. 

There was a click and Patton looked back, expecting him to be locked in but he could still see the white walls of the building. He was confused but attempted to fly out- only to ram his head into an invisible wall. 

“OH! Darling, it’s a glass door,” The green eyed human explained, a moment too late, moving in front of him to talk. “You poor little thing, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think- Oh, that’s my fault. Just- there’s food and water in the corner and if you need anything you just call me or Logan, okay? I’m Roman, by the way.”

He looked up at the human, tears free falling down his face. He didn’t want anything but to go home. Why didn’t these humans understand that?

“Can I know your name?” He pushed, “So we know what to write down on your chart.”

He didn’t answer.

“Right. Right- I get it. I’ll ask again later. You’re going to be okay. We’re going to take good care of you.” He hung a board on the glass door, and walked away. 

Patton sat there for another moment before crawling into the hut and laying down, falling asleep after the exhausting experience.


	2. -Could Be Higher

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman and Logan had done everything they can to allow their little blind friend a way to continue living in the wild, but when everything they do falls flat they have to do the one thing that nobody wants- Expect for Virgil. Virgil likes this option for some reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a one-shot. Now it's three chapters. Enjoy two scientists trying to follow their ethics code and failing miserably cause life can be more complicated then just "domestication bad, wild good". Also enjoy Virgil being a lazy bum and only working hard so he can be lazier later.

“I hate this,” Roman said to Logan as he was filling out the paperwork for the little avian’s transfer, “This is literally everything we’re against.”

“I know, this is what we were trying to prove was unnecessary with this research, but from what I’ve gathered from observing him he is unable to find food unless it is brightly colored; and he separated himself from other avians because he can not tell them apart from predatory birds and therefore wasn’t receiving help from any of the nests in the area. I do not think he could survive the next few months, let alone this winter,” Logan answered, putting his chew stim necklace back in his mouth and grinding his teeth into it.

“He’s going to hate us,” Roman sighed.

“He already hates us, it’s not really a loss.”

“It feels like a loss.”

“I know.”

Roman signed the paper at the bottom and shoved it in Logan’s direction. Logan signed it quickly and didn’t look at it again. The avian would be sent to a nearby wildlife rehabilitation center for permanent housing. They had done what they could to avoid this, including attempting to introduce the avian to other wild avians they bring into the shelter, but he refused to socialize with bigger avians (which was most of the ones they brought in) and they couldn’t risk introducing him to a wild nest without it or him rejecting it. 

This was the little guy’s best chance at survival; and yet it felt like they were completely betraying him. 

He just hoped he would warm up to the workers there, for his own sake. It would absolutely break Roman’s heart if he continued to be miserable when he was rehomed.

Joan popped their head in, “Virgil’s back.”

Logan groaned, “How? We’ve told everyone if he was in a trap to just open it and leave him.”

“Percy brought him in, I guess no one gave him the memo,” they answered.

“I’ll take it,” Roman sighed. He got up from the desk and followed Joan out to where Virgil was relaxing in a trap on an examination table, grinning up at him. “Congratulations, you’ve made it inside back once again. What if we just didn’t feed you? Would you stop coming back then?”

“Would you stop?” He asked with that damn grin. 

He glared at him, “No. I’ll get you some food.”

“Grapes?”

“Yeah, whatever. What are you going to do when we leave in a few weeks and you lose your free meal ticket?” He grabbed a premade bowl. 

Virgil shrugged, “Starve.”

“Don’t say that,” He snapped, setting the bowl down and opening the trap, “You’re capable of feeding yourself, _some_ avians are not.”

Virgil walked out, raising an eyebrow up at him as he grabbed a grab slice, “What’s wrong?”

He debated telling Virgil what was happening, but maybe it would finally scare the emo nightmare into staying away, knowing that someone else wasn’t getting the same option. “We have a little guy here with impaired vision and half-starved. We just signed him off to be sent to a wildlife center to be taken care of. He’s not being released.”

The avian’s eyes widened, “You do that?”

There was a moment where Roman really thought he had gotten through to him before realizing that the look Virgil was giving him was not of fear. “Virgil, no. _No_. You can fully take care of yourself. The center is for animals to heal and be released, technically our little guy shouldn’t be going but it’s the best place we got that isn’t an avian adoption center.”

Virgil’s face fell and he took an overly aggressive bite of the grape. Roman pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering what they were going to do with him. Maybe they should have stopped feeding him a while ago, but it was their policy to feed any avian that came in and he didn’t want to break it for one stubborn avian. Virgil was really trying to domesticate himself, which would have worked with any other group of humans besides them. Their research team was here to show that wild avians were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves and that the capture and attempted domestication of the endangered species was unnecessary as long as they were given reliable resources. This was proven true by every avian they had caught but Virgil and their blind friend.

He glanced at the kennel that had held the little avian, who had barely spoken to anyone since he got here. Sending him to the center by himself would do nothing for his depression, especially since he was unwilling to talk to anyone. He looked back to Virgil and a light bulb went off, a light bulb that had him groaning and dropping his head on the table. It was an awful idea, but if it worked it would possibly benefit both avians. 

“Roman?” Virgil poked his face, looking at him with barely hidden concern. 

“You want to live in the center? For real? You probably won’t be able to come and go. You’ll live in an enclosed space and you’ll be doing what humans tell you. Does that really sound fine to you?” He pushed, not lifting his head, “There’s no backing out of it once it goes through.”

Virgil looked to be considering it, looked to be weighing the pros and cons of what was being offered. After a minute he looked into Roman’s eyes, very seriously, “Would I get to nap?”

He looked down and thunked his head on the table, “You’re such a lazy bird. Yes. You’ll be able to nap whenever you want, with one stipulation-” He lifted his head and looked down at Virgil, “You have to take care of the avian that’s already going. If you can befriend him by the end of the day we’ll copy the paperwork and you’ll be able to go with him. It would make me feel better to know that there is somebody there with him to make sure he doesn’t get too sad.” 

“Really?” Virgil asked with a scrunched nose, “Have to be friends?”

“Yes, Virgil, you two have to be friends,” Roman answered, wondering if having to be friends would actually be the thing to deter Virgil from the self-domestication option, “I’m not sending you to the rehabilitation center just cause. This avian is becoming depressed here in the clinic, and I fear it’s going to get worse. If you can’t help him then there is, quite literally, no reason for you to go.”

Virgil sighed heavily, “Okay. I’ll help.”

“Thank you, Virgil,” he grumbled and scooped Virgil up, taking him over to a separate meeting kennel and putting him in one side, “Logan’s definitely going to hate me for agreeing to this.”

He walked over to the other little one’s kennel; he opened it and scooped the blanket up that he was in, quickly transferring him before he was able to orient himself. The little avian shouted at him through the blankets and struggled baselessly.

He slipped him into the opposite side and locked the door. The meeting kennel was just a bit bigger than the normal kennels, but with the divider currently in the middle both sides were about a third smaller than the normal kennel. Virgil was right up at the divider immediately, making small chirps at the other. 

Roman let them be for now, he’d check up on them in an hour and see about lifting the divider. Logan left the office, and he could see the exact moment when he noticed Virgil and the little avian were together. 

“Virgil? Are you sure? Virgil doesn’t belong to a nest and he barely forages for himself, you think he would be willing to do so for another?” He questioned.

“Actually,” Roman chuckled nervously, “I told Virgil if he could befriend Patton… He could go to the rehabilitation center with him.”

“You didn’t,” Logan gaped, “Roman, we can not take a perfectly healthy and capable avian out of its natural habitat just because he’s lazy.”

“Look, I know, but Virgil claims to be dependent on us for a food source, and while I don’t believe him it’s a usable excuse not to release him; and, he clearly doesn’t want to take care of himself, if the occasional horrible state of his wings are anything to go by. Besides, this is a chance for our blind bird buddy to have a friend to go with him to make the transition better,” Roman explained. 

Logan glared at him, “You better be right about this. I hate the idea of removing one avian from this forest, let alone two.”

“It’ll be fine,” He assured. Logan nodded at him and walked off to talk to some of the other researchers and volunteers.

Roman looked back to the cage with Virgil and the little avian and watched as Virgil tried to coax the other to chirp back to him. This had to work, if only so the little one didn’t waste away in the rehabilitation center. He trusted the center to take good care of them and give them as much freedom as possible with the little one's disability, but it was still going to be a difficult change.

The little one gave a gentle chirp back at Virgil. Roman sighed in relief.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I am not blind, not do I speak for or represent the blind community. Patton is unable to take care of himself due to his circumstances and lack of accommodations and help from other's in the area. If anything I've written is inaccurate or harmful please feel free to correct me. 
> 
> I would love to hear any feedback so, please leave a comment! All are greatly appreciated <3


End file.
